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Huajiao water (HW) has a wide range of applications in the new food service industry. However, few process and flavor studies have been conducted on HW. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of boiling process on HW flavor as well as the mechanisms by which important aroma compounds affect the flavor. The results showed that HW-20 min had better flavor quality and typical flavor of Huajiao. Boiling time mainly affected the content of terpenoid, which subsequently affected the overall flavor of HW. Compared to dried Huajiao (DH), HW had significantly lower volatile compounds. Limonene and linalool were abundant volatile compounds in DH and HW. Finally, the potential degradation pathways of limonene and linalool were summarized based on model experiments and isotopic tracer techniques, respectively. This study provided a feasible solution for the investigation of the transformation pathway and the flavor regulation of HW in industry.

Objectives: To assess the diagnostic value of tuberculosis-secreted Ag85B, ESAT-6 and CFP10 in pulmonary tuberculosis. Method: Immunohistochemical (IHC) and acid-fast staining were performed, the detection efficiency of the two methods were analysed with chi-square test. Results: Acid-fast staining demonstrated a sensitivity of (18/69, 26.09%) and a specificity of 100%. IHC staining for Ag85B, ESAT-6 and CFP10 was positive in all 18 cases with positive acid-fast staining and additionally positive in 25,36 and 30 cases, respectively, that were acid-fast-negative. The sensitivities of IHC staining for Ag85B, ESAT-6 and CFP10 were 62.32%, 78.26% and69.57%, respectively, while their specificities were 86.57%, 85.07% and 91.04%, respectively. Joint antigen analysis revealed that simultaneous positivity for two or three of Ag85B, ESAT-6 and CFP10 increased specificity (95.52% to 100%) but decreased sensitivity (49.28% to 62.31%). The presence of any one of the three antigens elevated sensitivity (81.16% to 88.41%) but lowered specificity (68.66% to 77.61%). Specificity reached 100% for concurrent positivity of all three antigens, while a sensitivity of 88.41% was observed for positivity of any one antigen. Conclusions: Ag85B, ESAT-6, and CFP10 exhibits greater sensitivity in pulmonary tuberculosis and combined antigen testing enhances the diagnostic accuracy.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling combined with perimacular hole massage versus ILM flap insertion in the management of patients with idiopathic macular holes was conducted. Methods: 35 patients (total of 35 eyes) with idiopathic macular holes (with hole diameters ranging from 366 to 1430 μm) were divided into two groups—Group A consisted of 20 eyes that underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) combined with ILM peeling and perimacular hole massage, while Group B comprised 15 eyes that underwent PPV combined with ILM flap insertion. Subsequent follow-up examinations were performed at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months post-surgery. The study also involved a comparison of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) classifications between both the patient groups. Results: The macular hole closure rates in Group A were 60 %, while in Group B, the closure rate was 93 %. There was significant difference in hiatus healing rate between the two groups (t = 4.843, p = 0.048). The difference in BCVA at 3 months post-operation between the two groups was statistically significant (t = 3.221, p = 0.003). Three months post-operatively, the BCVA in Group B demonstrated improvement compared to the pre-operative BCVA, with a statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). Three months post-operatively, the BCVA in Group A demonstrated improvement compared to the pre-operative BCVA, but this difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The combination of PPV with ILM flap insertion demonstrates favorable therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of idiopathic macular holes, leading to improved visual acuity.

Rockburst are often encountered in tunnel construction due to the complex geological conditions. To study the influence of unloading rate on rockburst, gneiss rockburst experiments were conducted under three groups of unloading rates. A high-speed photography system and acoustic emission (AE) system were used to monitor the entire process of rockburst process in real-time. The results show that the intensity of gneiss rockburst decreases with decrease of unloading rate, which is manifested as the reduction of AE energy and fragments ejection velocity. The mechanisms are proposed to explain this effect: (i) The reduction of unloading rate changes the crack propagation mechanism in the process of rockburst. This makes the rockbursts change from the tensile failure mechanism at high unloading rate to the tension-shear mixed failure mechanism at low unloading rate, and more energy released in the form of shear crack propagation. Then, less strain energy is converted into kinetic energy of fragments ejection. (ii) Less plate cracking degree of gneiss has taken shape due to decrease of unloading rate, resulting in the destruction of rockburst incubation process. The enlightenments of reducing the unloading rate for the project are also described quantitatively. The rockburst magnitude is reduced from the medium magnitude at the unloading rate of 0.1 MPa/s to the slight magnitude at the unloading rate of 0.025 MPa/s, which was judged by the ejection velocity.

Objective: Dizziness or vertigo in older population frequently presents in clinical settings, yet its etiology remains elusive. The objective of this study was to delineate global trends and identify frontiers in research concerning dizziness or vertigo among older population. Methods: We searched the research literature published from 2003 to 2022 on older population with dizziness or vertigo using two databases from the Web of Science Core Collection. A bibliometric and visualization analysis was conducted. Bibliometric tools facilitated co-authorship, co-citation, and keyword co-occurrence analyses, encompassing countries or regions, institutions, authors, journals, and references. Results: The analysis included 1322 publications authored by 6524 individuals from 2244 institutions across 67 countries or regions, spanning 92 subject categories. A steady increase in publications was noted from 2003 to 2022. The University of Munich, Harvard University, and the University of California System emerged as leading institutions with the highest publication outputs. The United States, Germany, and China were predominant in publication counts. Eva Grill was identified as the most prolific author. Otology & Neurotology and Geriatrics & Gerontology emerged as the most prolific journal and subject category, respectively. The most prevalent keywords were “dizziness”, “vertigo”, “falls”, and “geriatric”, with “management”, “gait”, and “association” recognized as the principal research hotspots. Conclusion: This study provides a systematic analysis of global scientific research on older population dizziness/vertigo, revealing significant advancements in understanding over the past two decades. Management, gait, and association have emerged as the primary research focuses on recent years. These findings offer valuable insights for directing current research efforts to capture prevailing trends and explore new frontiers in this field.

To investigate the mechanism of rockburst prevention by spraying water onto the surrounding rocks, 15 experiments are performed considering different water absorption levels on a single face. High-speed photography and acoustic emission (AE) system are used to monitor the rockburst process. The effect of water on sandstone rockburst and the prevention mechanism of water on sandstone rockburst are analyzed from the perspective of energy and failure mode. The results show that the higher the absorption degree, the lower the intensity of the rockburst after absorbing water on single side of sandstone. This is reflected in the fact that with the increase in the water absorption level, the ejection velocity of rockburst fragments is smaller, the depth of the rockburst pit is shallower, and the AE energy is smaller. Under the water absorption level of 100%, the magnitude of rockburst intensity changes from medium to slight. The prevention mechanism of water on sandstone rockburst is that water reduces the capacity of sandstone to store strain energy and accelerates the expansion of shear cracks, which is not conducive to the occurrence of plate cracking before rockburst, and destroys the conditions for rockburst incubation.

Summary: Background: A variety of symptoms, particularly cognitive, psychiatric and neurological symptoms, may persist for a long time among individuals recovering from COVID-19. However, the underlying mechanism of these brain abnormalities remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the long-term neuroimaging effects of COVID-19 infection on brain functional activities using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods: Fifty-two survivors 27 months after infection (mild-moderate group: 25 participants, severe-critical: 27 participants), from our previous community participants, along with 35 healthy controls, were recruited to undergo fMRI scans and comprehensive cognitive function measurements. Participants were evaluated by subjective assessment of Cognitive Failures Questionnaire-14 (CFQ-14) and Fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14), and objective assessment of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), N-back, and Simple Reaction Time (SRT). Each had rs-fMRI at 3T. Measures such as the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), and regional homogeneity (ReHo) were calculated. Findings: Compared with healthy controls, survivors of mild-moderate acute symptoms group and severe-critical group had a significantly higher score of cognitive complains involving cognitive failure and mental fatigue. However, there was no difference of cognitive complaints between two groups of COVID-19 survivors. The performance of three groups was similar on the score of MoCA, N-back and SRT. The rs-fMRI results showed that COVID-19 survivors exhibited significantly increased ALFF values in the left putamen (PUT.L), right inferior temporal gyrus (ITG.R) and right pallidum (PAL.R), while decreased ALFF values were observed in the right superior parietal gyrus (SPG.R) and left superior temporal gyrus (STG.L). Additionally, decreased ReHo values in the right precentral gyrus (PreCG.R), left postcentral gyrus (PoCG.L), left calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex (CAL.L) and left superior temporal gyrus (STG.L). Furthermore, significant negative correlations between the ReHo values in the STG.L, and CFQ-14 and mental fatigue were found. Interpretation: This long-term study suggests that individuals recovering from COVID-19 continue to experience cognitive complaints, psychiatric and neurological symptoms, and brain functional alteration. The rs-fMRI results indicated that the changes in brain function in regions such as the putamen, temporal lobe, and superior parietal gyrus may contribute to cognitive complaints in individuals with long COVID even after 2-year infection. Funding: The National Programs for Brain Science and Brain-like Intelligence Technology of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality of China, and the National Key Research and Development Program of China.

Carrots as a representative type of delicious and healthy vegetables has become increasingly popular due to its unique flavors and nutritional value. Vast amount of research has been completed on chemical composition and aroma profile of fresh carrot. However, the knowledge of fresh carrot is only scattered. Therefore, a more comprehensive review to fresh carrot is requisite to be reported. This review first describes the botany of carrots; then, the chemical ingredients and their various functions are discussed. The volatile constituents and the effects of terpenoids on aroma profiles of fresh carrot are also discussed. Finally, sources of variation in the formation and development of carrot aroma through heat processing and dehydration are analyzed. This information will further help researchers to solve the problem of insufficient aroma of carrot products and standardize for each type of carrot through improving the production process.

Background: The new round of WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease assessment requires futher research to provide more evidence, especially on the health impact of ambient air pollution around the workplace. However, the evidence linking obstructive ventilatory dysfunction (OVD) to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and its chemical components in workers is very limited. Evidence is even more scarce on the interactive effects between occupational factors and particle exposures. We aimed to fill these gaps based on a large ventilatory function examination of workers in southern China. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 363,788 workers in southern China in 2020. The annual average concentration of PM2.5 and its components were evaluated around the workplace through validated spatiotemporal models. We used mixed-effect models to evaluate the risk of OVD related to PM2.5 and its components. Results were further stratified by basic characteristics and occupational factors. Findings: Among the 305,022 workers, 119,936 were observed with OVD. We found for each interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM2.5 concentration, the risk of OVD increased by 27.8 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 26.5–29.2 %). The estimates were 10.9 % (95 %CI: 9.7–12.1 %), 15.8 % (95 %CI: 14.5–17.2 %), 2.6 % (95 %CI: 1.4–3.8 %), 17.1 % (95 %CI: 15.9–18.4 %), and 11 % (95 %CI: 9.9–12.2 %), respectively, for each IQR increment in sulfate, nitrate, ammonium salt, organic matter and black carbon. We observed greater effect estimates among females, younger workers, workers with a length of service of 24–45 months, and professional skill workers. Furthermore, it is particularly noteworthy that the noise-exposed workers, high-temperature-exposed workers, and less-dust-exposed workers were at a 5.7–68.2 % greater risk than others. Interpretation: PM2.5 and its components were significantly associated with an increased risk of OVD, with stronger links among certain vulnerable subgroups.

Due to the increasing number of international exchanges, foreign users have gradually become a significant consumer segment. Many of them are not proficient in the local language. Providing them with native language services will be an important trend, both from a business and a humanistic perspective. The purpose of this study is to investigate the fast-food restaurant ordering system that can provide multilingual services for foreigners, and to investigate factors that influence fast food restaurant consumers to adopt multilingual self-service ordering systems. Based on the characteristics of foreign users, we have proposed experience factors such as convenience, translation quality, social anxiety, and the Flow. According to research, the convenience of the service has a strong direct impact on consumers' intention to use, social anxiety has a weak direct impact on consumers' intention to use, and translation quality has a weak direct impact on consumers' intention to use through the intermediate variable of social anxiety. Particularly, Flow experience is not associated with intention to use. The Flow state is one in which users are completely immersed and do not notice time or the surroundings when the perceived difficulty of a task matches their abilities. The purpose of this study is to improve our understanding of the customer evaluation criteria for multilingual self-service systems, as well as to establish the MSSS model for future research on multilingual self-service systems.

Background: Elderly patients undergoing surgery are prone to cognitive decline known as perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND). Several studies have shown that the microglial activation and the decrease of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in gut induced by surgery may be related to the pathogenesis of PND. The purpose of this study was to determine whether microglia and short-chain fatty acids were involved in cognitive dysfunction in aged rats. Methods: Male wild-type Wistar rats aged 11–12 months were randomly divided into control group (Ctrl: Veh group), propionic acid group (Ctrl: PA group), exploratory laparotomy group (LP: Veh group) and propionic acid + exploratory laparotomy group (LP: PA group) according to whether exploratory laparotomy (LP) or PA pretreatment for 21 days was performed. The motor ability of the rats was evaluated by open field test on postoperative day 3 (POD3), and then the cognitive function was evaluated by Y-maze test and fear conditioning test. The expression of IL-1β, IL-6, RORγt and IL-17A mRNA in hippocampus was detected by RT-qPCR, the expression of IL-17A and IL-17RA in hippocampus was detected by Western blot, and the activation of microglia was detected by immunofluorescence. Results: The PND rat model was successfully established by laparotomy. Compared with Ctrl: Veh group, the body weight of LP: Veh group decreased, the percentage of spontaneous alternations in Y maze decreased (P

Objective: To assess the diagnostic value of immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for detecting the tuberculosis-secreted antigens ESAT-6 and CFP10 in lymph node tuberculosis. Methods: Archived, paraffin-embedded lymph node specimens from 72 patients diagnosed with lymph node tuberculosis and 68 patients with lymphoma were retrospectively collected from the Department of Pathology at the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China between January 2016 and March 2023. These specimens were subjected to acid-fast and immunohistochemical staining to compare the effectiveness of these methods, with their sensitivity and specificity evaluated against a comprehensive reference standard. Results: Acid-fast staining demonstrated a sensitivity of 12.3% and a specificity of 100%. IHC staining for ESAT-6 showed a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 85.3%, whereas IHC staining for CFP10 exhibited a sensitivity of 75.0% and a specificity of 89.7%. Conclusion: The study indicates that IHC detection of ESAT-6 and CFP10 in paraffin-embedded lymph node tuberculosis tissues has a markedly higher sensitivity compared to acid-fast staining. Thus, IHC staining may serve as a supplementary diagnostic tool for the pathological evaluation of lymph node tuberculosis.

Objective: To explore the effect of human urine-derived stem cells (husc) in improving the neurological function of rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CIR), and report new molecular network by bioinformatics, combined with experiment validation. Methods: After CIR model was established, and husc were transplanted into the lateral ventricle of rats，neurological severe score (NSS) andgene network analysis were performed. Firstly, we input the keywords “Cerebral reperfusion” and “human urine stem cells” into Genecard database and merged data with findings from PubMed so as to get their targets genes, and downloaded them to make Venny intersection plot. Then, Gene ontology (GO) analysis, kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) were performed to construct molecular network of core genes. Lastly, the expressional level of core genes was validated via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and localized by immunofluorescence. Results: Compared with the Sham group, the neurological function of CIR rats was significantly improved after the injection of husc into the lateral ventricle; at 14 days, P = 0.028, which was statistically significant. There were 258 overlapping genes between CIR and husc, and integrated with 252 genes screened from PubMed and CNKI. GO enrichment analysis were mainly involved neutrophil degranulation, neutrophil activation in immune response and platelet positive regulation of degranulation, Hemostasis, blood coagulation, coagulation, etc. KEGG pathway analysis was mainly involved in complement and coagulation cascades, ECM-receptor. Hub genes screened by Cytoscape consist ofCD44, ACTB, FN1, ITGB1, PLG, CASP3, ALB, HSP90AA1, EGF, GAPDH. Lastly, qRT-PCR results showed statistic significance (P

Evidence of the potential causal links between long-term exposure to particulate matters (PM, i.e., PM1, PM2.5, and PM1–2.5) and T2DM mortality based on large cohorts is limited. In contrast, the existing evidence usually suffers from inherent bias with the traditional association assessment.A prospective cohort of 580,757 participants in the southern region of China were recruited during 2009 and 2015 and followed up through December 2020. PM exposure at each residential address was estimated by linking to the well-established high-resolution simulation dataset. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using time-varying marginal structural Cox models, an established causal inference approach, after adjusting for potential confounders.During follow-up, a total of 717 subjects died from T2DM. For every 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, the adjusted HRs and 95% confidence interval (CI) for T2DM mortality was 1.036 (1.019–1.053). Similarly, for every 1 μg/m3 increase in PM1 and PM1–2.5, the adjusted HRs and 95% CIs were 1.032 (1.003–1.062) and 1.085 (1.054–1.116), respectively. Additionally, we observed a generally more pronounced impact among individuals with lower levels of education or lower residential greenness which as measured by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). We identified substantial interactions between NDVI and PM1 (P-interaction = 0.003), NDVI and PM2.5 (P-interaction = 0.019), as well as education levels and PM1 (P-interaction = 0.049).The study emphasizes the need to consider environmental and socio-economic factors in strategies to reduce T2DM mortality. We found that PM1, PM2.5, and PM1–2.5 heighten the peril of T2DM mortality, with education and green space exposure roles in modifying it.

Sepsis causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, most surviving patients show acute or chronic mental disorders, which are known as sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE). SAE involves many pathological processes, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage. The BBB is located at the interface between the central nervous system and the surrounding environment, which protects the central nervous system (CNS) from the invasion of exogenous molecules, harmful substances or microorganisms in the blood. Recently, a growing number of studies have indicated that the BBB destruction was involved in SAE and played an important role in SAE-induced brain injury. In the present review, we firstly reveal the pathological processes of SAE such as the neurotransmitter disorders, oxidative stress, immune dysfunction and BBB destruction. Moreover, we introduce the structure of BBB, and describe the immune cells including microglia and astrocytes that participate in the BBB destruction after SAE. Furthermore, in view of the current research on non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), we explain the regulatory mechanism of ncRNAs including long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) on BBB in the processes of SAE. Finally, we propose some challenges and perspectives of regulating BBB functions in SAE. Hence, on the basis of these effects, both immune cells and ncRNAs may be developed as therapeutic targets to protect BBB for SAE patients.

Introduction: Sea-island cotton (Gossypium barbadense, Gb) is one of the major sources of high-grade natural fiber. Besides the common annual Gb cotton, perennial Gb cotton is also cultivated, but studies on perennial Gb cotton are rare. Objectives: We aimed to make a systematic analysis of perennial sea-island cotton and lay a foundation for its utilization in breeding, and try to identify the representative structural variations (SVs) in sea-island cotton, and to reveal the population differentiation and adaptive improvement of sea-island cotton. Methods: Through genome assembly of one perennial Gb cotton accession (named Gb_M210936) and comparative genome analysis, variations during Gb cotton domestication were identified by comparing Gb_M210936 with annual Gb accession 3–79 and with wild allotetraploid cotton G. darwinii. Six perennial Gb accessions combining with the resequenced 1,129 cotton accessions were used to conduct population and genetic analysis. Large haplotype blocks (haploblocks), generated from interspecific introgressions and intraspecific inversions, were identified and were used to analyze their effects on population differentiation and agronomic traits of sea-island cotton. Results: One reference genome of perennial sea-island cotton was assembled. Representative SVs in sea-island cotton were identified, and 31 SVs were found to be associated with agronomic traits. Perennial Gb cotton had a closer kinship with the wild-to-landrace continuum Gb cotton from south America where Gb cotton is originally domesticated. Haploblocks were associated with agronomic traits improvement of sea-island cotton, promoted sea-island cotton differentiation into three subgroups, were suffered from breeding selection, and may drive Gb cotton to be adapted to central Asian. Conclusion: Our study made up the lack of perennial Gb cotton genome, and clarified that exotic introgressions improved the traits of sea-island cotton, promoted the population differentiation, and drove sea-island cotton adaptive to central Asia, which will provide new insights for the genetic breeding improvement of sea-island cottons.

Aluminium hybrid metal matrix composites have significantly increased in many advanced applications owing to their unique properties. However, these hybrid composites are difficult to machine because of hard reinforcements in the matrix. After identifying the optimum cutting conditions, it's crucial to identify the tool wear mechanisms to keep surface roughness within the desired range, especially with hybrid composites. Hence, the present work mainly focuses on identifying the wear mechanism of PVD-coated TiAlN cutting tool inserts during the end milling of Al 6082 hybrid metal matrix composites. MQL, CO2, and a combination of MQL + CO2 cooling conditions were employed over the cutting zone to decrease tool wear. In the context of 300 mm of cutting length, employing CO2, MQL, and MQL + CO2 conditions led to a significant reduction in tool wear by 34.5 %, 50.1 %, and 74.7 %, respectively, compared to dry cutting. The results showed that the MQL + CO2 condition produced better results than the other cooling conditions, improving tool life and surface quality.

Background: Birth asphyxia causes hypoxia or inadequate perfusion to the organs of newborns, leading to metabolism dysfunctions including blood glucose disorders. Methods: Neonates with and without birth asphyxia were retrospectively recruited from 53 hospitals in Hubei Province from January 1 to December 31, 2018. In summary, 875, 1139, and 180 cases in the control group, the mild asphyxia group, and the severe asphyxia group were recruited, respectively. Neonatal blood glucose values at postnatal 1, 2, 6, and 12 h (time error within 0.5 h was allowed) were gathered from the medical records. Results: The incidence rates of hyperglycemia in the control group, the mild asphyxia group and the severe asphyxia group were 2.97%, 7.90%, and 23.33%, respectively (p

Background: To report the clinical consequences and laboratory characteristics of late postoperative opacification of a hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lens (US-860UV IOL) as well as the prognosis of IOL replacement. Methods: Forty medical records (42 eyes) of patients with US-860UV IOL opacification reporting decreased or lost vision who underwent IOL explantation between 2017 and 2019 were reviewed. Explanted IOLs were analyzed by slit-lamp examination, confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) at the Shandong Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong First Medical University, and Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China. Results: The mean age of the 40 patients was 74.83 ​± ​7.57 (63–92) years. The mean interval between cataract surgery and diagnosis of opacification was 32.38 ​± ​8.76 (17–48) months. Systemic diseases were found without statistical correlations, the most frequent being arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, and diabetes mellitus. Visual acuity improved from 1.42 ​± ​1.03 to 0.31 ​± ​0.16 (logMAR) after IOL replacement. SEM, EDS and alizarin red staining showed uniformly distributed, diffuse, milk-white opacification, with calcium and phosphorus deposits on the optic and haptic surfaces that could be dissolved in 1% HCl. Conclusions: Calcium and phosphorus deposition was the main cause of hydrophilic acrylic US-860UV IOL opacification. IOL replacement can safely and effectively improve the visual acuity of patients.

Plant architecture and leaf color are important factors influencing cotton fiber yield. In this study, based on genetic analysis, stem paraffin sectioning, and phytohormone treatments, we showed that the dwarf-red (DR) cotton mutant is a gibberellin-sensitive mutant caused by a mutation in a single dominant locus, designated GhDR. Using bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and genotyping by target sequencing (GBTS) approaches, we located the causative mutation to a ~197-kb genetic interval on chromosome A09 containing 25 annotated genes. Based on gene annotation and expression changes between the mutant and normal plants, GH_A09G2280 was considered to be the best candidate gene responsible for the dwarf and red mutant phenotypes. A 2-nucleotide deletion was found in the coding region of GhDR/GH_A09G2280 in the DR mutant, which caused a frameshift and truncation of GhDR. GhDR is a homolog of Arabidopsis AtBBX24, and encodes a B-box zinc finger protein. The frameshift deletion eliminated the C-terminal nuclear localization domain and the VP domain of GhDR, and altered its subcellular localization. A comparative transcriptome analysis demonstrated downregulation of the key genes involved in gibberellin biosynthesis and the signaling transduction network, as well as upregulation of the genes related to gibberellin degradation and the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway in the DR mutant. The results of this study revealed the potential molecular basis by which plant architecture and anthocyanin accumulation are regulated in cotton.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous at relatively high concentrations by atmospheric deposition, and they are threatening to the environment. In this study, the toxicity of naphthalene on tall fescue and its potential responding mechanism was first studied by integrating approaches. Tall fescue seedlings were exposed to 0, 20, and 100 mg L−1 naphthalene in a hydroponic environment for 9 days, and toxic effects were observed by the studies of general physiological studies, chlorophyll fluorescence, and root morphology. Additionally, Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography - Electrospray Ionization - High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-HRMS) was used to depict metabolic profiles of tall fescue under different exposure durations of naphthalene, and the intrinsic molecular mechanism of tall fescue resistance to abiotic stresses. Tall fescue shoots were more sensitive to the toxicity of naphthalene than roots. Low-level exposure to naphthalene inhibited the electron transport from the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) to D1 protein in tall fescue shoots but induced the growth of roots. Naphthalene induced metabolic change of tall fescue roots in 12 h, and tall fescue roots maintained the level of sphingolipids after long-term exposure to naphthalene, which may play important roles in plant resistance to abiotic stresses.

Background: Millions of COVID-19 pediatric survivors are facing the risk of long COVID after recovery from acute COVID-19. The primary objective of this study was to systematically review the available literature and determine the pooled prevalence of, and risk factors for long COVID among the pediatric survivors. Methods: Studies that assessed the prevalence of, or risk factors associated with long COVID among pediatric COVID-19 survivors were systematically searched in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library up to December 11th, 2022. Random effects model was performed to estimate the pooled prevalence of long COVID among pediatric COVID-19 patients. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression on the estimated prevalence of long COVID were performed by stratification with follow-up duration, mean age, sex ratio, percentage of multisystem inflammatory syndrome, hospitalization rate at baseline, and percentage of severe illness. Results: Based on 40 studies with 12,424 individuals, the pooled prevalence of any long COVID was 23.36 % ([95 % CI 15.27–32.53]). The generalized symptom (19.57 %, [95 % CI 9.85–31.52]) was reported most commonly, followed by respiratory (14.76 %, [95 % CI 7.22–24.27]), neurologic (13.51 %, [95 % CI 6.52–22.40]), and psychiatric (12.30 %, [95% CI 5.38–21.37]). Dyspnea (22.75 %, [95% CI 9.38–39.54]), fatigue (20.22 %, [95% CI 9.19–34.09]), and headache (15.88 %, [95 % CI 6.85–27.57]) were most widely reported specific symptoms. The prevalence of any symptom during 3–6, 6–12, and> 12 months were 26.41 % ([95 % CI 14.33–40.59]), 20.64 % ([95 % CI 17.06–24.46]), and 14.89 % ([95 % CI 6.09–26.51]), respectively. Individuals with aged over ten years, multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or had severe clinical symptoms exhibited higher prevalence of long COVID in multi-systems. Factors such as older age, female, poor physical or mental health, or had severe infection or more symptoms were more likely to have long COVID in pediatric survivors. Conclusions: Nearly one quarter of pediatric survivors suffered multisystem long COVID, even at 1 year after infection. Ongoing monitoring, comprehensive prevention and intervention is warranted for pediatric survivors, especially for individuals with high risk factors.

Privileged structures, like quinoline, have diverse biological activities, and their synthetic versatility makes them crucial for drug design. In traditional synthesis methods, the C-H functionalization of quinoline can be effectively achieved using different conditions, especially transition metal catalysis. Machine learning (ML) techniques enable rapid prediction of C-H functionalization, facilitating drug design and synthesis. In this study, a generalizable approach to predict site selectivity is accomplished by using artificial neural network (ANN), which is suitable for the site prediction of derivatives of quinoline. In an 80/10/10 training/validation/testing split of 2467 compounds, the model takes SMILES strings as input format and uses six quantum chemical descriptors to identify reactive site(s) of the compound. On the external validation set, 86 .5% of all molecules were correctly predicted. This model allows chemists to rapidly predict which site is more likely to produce electrophilic substitution reaction.

Background: To investigate the possible molecular mechanism of miR-194-5p/PRC1/Wnt/β-catenin signaling axis that regulates the invasive metastatic ability and radiotherapy sensitivity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells. Methods: ESCC-related differentially expressed miRNAs were identified by microarray analysis, followed by the identification of a putative target. The targeting relationship between miR-194-5p and PRC1 was assayed. A series of mimic and shRNA were transfected into ESCC cells to find out the mechanism of miR-194-5p in ESCC by regulating PRC1 through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and their effect on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and radiosensitivity as well as xenograft tumor growth and metastasis in nude mice. Results: We demonstrated low miR-194-5p expression and high PRC1 expression in ESCC tissues and cells. PRC1 was confirmed as a putative target for miR-194-5p. High miR-194-5p or silenced PRC1 enhanced ESCC cell radiosensitivity but reduced proliferation, invasion, and migration via PRC1 through modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Animal experiments also validated that overexpression of miR-194-5p suppressed tumorigenesis and in vivo metastasis in nude mice.Conclusion: miR-194-5p can inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway through down-regulation of the PRC1 gene, thereby enhancing the sensitivity of ESCC cells to radiotherapy and attenuating the invasion and metastasis ability of ESCC cells.

In a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC), the oxidization of organic compounds is facilitated by an electrogenic biofilm on the anode surface. The biofilm community composition determines the function of the system. Both deterministic and stochastic factors affect the community, but the relative importance of different factors is poorly understood. Anode material is a deterministic factor as materials with different properties may select for different microorganisms. Ecological drift is a stochastic factor, which is amplified by dispersal limitation between communities. Here, we compared the effects of three anode materials (graphene, carbon cloth, and nickel) with the effect of dispersal limitation on the function and biofilm community assembly. Twelve MECs were operated for 56 days in four hydraulically connected loops and shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to analyse the microbial community composition on the anode surfaces at the end of the experiment. The anode material was the most important factor affecting the performance of the MECs, explaining 54–80 % of the variance observed in peak current density, total electric charge generation, and start-up lag time, while dispersal limitation explained 10–16 % of the variance. Carbon cloth anodes had the highest current generation and shortest lag time. However, dispersal limitation was the most important factor affecting microbial community structure, explaining 61–98 % of the variance in community diversity, evenness, and the relative abundance of the most abundant taxa, while anode material explained 0–20 % of the variance. The biofilms contained nine Desulfobacterota metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), which made up 64–89 % of the communities and were likely responsible for electricity generation in the MECs. Different MAGs dominated in different MECs. Particularly two different genotypes related to Geobacter benzoatilyticus competed for dominance on the anodes and reached relative abundances up to 83 %. The winning genotype was the same in all MECs that were hydraulically connected irrespective of anode material used.

Pork is widely consumed and appreciated by consumers across the world, and there are various methods of cooking pork. This study aimed to summarize the effects of different heat transfer media on pork flavor and the sources of flavor compounds. The cooking methods are classified based on the heat transfer media used, which include water and steam (e.g. steaming, boiling, and stewing), heat source or hot air (e.g. baking and smoking), oil (e.g. pan-frying, stir-frying, and deep frying), and other cooking technologies. The objective is to provide a reference for researchers studying pork cooking methods and flavor components.

Summary: Chromatin remodeling plays an important role in regulating gene transcription, in which chromatin remodeling complex is a crucial aspect. Brg1/Brm-associated factor 60c (BAF60c) subunit forms a bridge between chromatin remodeling complexes and transcription factors in mammals; hence, it has received extensive attention. However, the roles of BAF60c in fish remain largely unexplored. In this study, we identified BAF60c-interacting proteins by using HIS-pull-down and LC-MS/MS analysis in fish. Subsequently, the RNA-seq analysis was performed to identify the overall effects of BAF60c. Then, the function of BAF60c was verified through BAF60c knockdown and overexpression experiments. We demonstrated for the first time that BAF60c interacts with glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and regulates lipid metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and inflammation. Knockdown of BAF60c reduces fatty acid biosynthesis, ER stress, and inflammation. In conclusion, the results enriched BAF60c-interacting protein network and explored the function of BAF60c in lipid metabolism and inflammation in fish.

Tumor microenvironment (TME) is closely correlated to the occurrence and progression of breast cancer, however its potentiality in assisting diagnosis and therapeutic decision remains unclear. Therefore, the major aim of this study is to explore the prognostic value of TME related gene in breast cancer. Expression matrices and clinical data of breast cancer obtained from public databases were divided into TME relevant clusters according to immune characterization. A 12-gene molecular classifier was generated through the utilization of differentially expressed genes identified between distinct Tumor Microenvironment (TME) clusters, coupled with correlative regression analysis. The performance of this TME-driven prognostic signature (TPS) were examined across both the training and validation cohorts. Furthermore, our study revealed that breast cancer cases classified as high-risk based on the TPS exhibited the phenotype with elevated immune cell infiltration, higher tumor mutational burden, and a notably worse overall prognostic outcome. To conclude, the novel TME-based TPS was able to serve as a superior prognosis indicator for breast cancer, alone or jointly with other clinical factors. Also, breast cancer patients belong to different risk subgroups of TPS were found potentially suitable for distinguished therapeutic agents, which might improve personalized treatment for breast cancer in the future.

Introduction: Increasing evidence demonstrates that the activation states and diverse spectrum of macrophage subtypes display dynamic heterogeneity in the tumor microenvironment, which plays a critical role in a variety of cancer types. Objectives: To investigate the heterogeneity and the homeostasis of different macrophage subtypes, as well as their effect on biological and clinical manifestations of ovarian cancer (OV). Method: Integrated immunogenomic analysis of single-cell and bulk tissue transcriptome profiling was performed to systematically investigate the association between macrophage activation and prognostic and therapeutic efficacy. Consensus clustering analysis was used to define novel macrophage subtypes. An artificial neural network was used to simulate the dynamic activation of macrophages. Results: The pan-cohort results suggested that high relative infiltration abundance of M0 and M1 macrophages was associated with improved outcome and therapeutic efficacy. However, it was the opposite for M2 macrophages. Unsupervised consensus clustering analysis revealed two OV subgroups characterized by a balance between M0, M1 and M2 macrophages with distinct clinical and immunological behaviors. Finally, a macrophage polarization-derived artificial neural network model was proposed to serve as a robust prognostic factor and predictive biomarker for therapeutic efficacy, which was validated in different independent patient cohorts. Conclusion: The present study provides a new understanding of macrophage heterogeneity and its association with OV prognosis and underlines the future clinical potential of a macrophage activation model for tumor prevention and treatment.

Recently, studies have shown that immune checkpoint-related genes (ICGs) are instrumental in maintaining immune homeostasis and can be regarded as potential therapeutic targets. However, the prognostic applications of ICGs require further elucidation in low-grade glioma (LGG) cases. In the present study, a unique prognostic gene signature in LGG has been identified and validated as well based on ICGs as a means of facilitating clinical decision-making. The RNA-seq data as well as corresponding clinical data of LGG samples have been retrieved utilizing the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. ICG-defined non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) clustering was performed to categorize patients with LGG into two molecular subtypes with different prognoses, clinical traits, and immune microenvironments. In the TCGA database, a signature integrating 8 genes has been developed utilizing the LASSO Cox method and validated in the GEO database. The signature developed is superior to other well-recognized signatures in terms of predicting the survival probability of patients with LGG. This 8-gene signature was then subsequently applied to categorize patients into high- and low-risk groups, and differences between them in terms of gene alteration frequency were observed. There were remarkable variations in IDH1 (91% and 64%) across low-as well as high-risk groups. Additionally, various analyses like function enrichment, tumor immune microenvironment, and chemotherapy drug sensitivity revealed significant variations across high- and low-risk populations. Overall, this 8-gene signature may function as a useful tool for prognosis and immunotherapy outcome predictions among LGG patients.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe, unpredictable, ill-cured, relapsing neuropsychiatric disorder. A recently identified type of death called cuproptosis has been linked to a number of illnesses. However, the influence of cuproptosis-related genes in MDD has not been comprehensively assessed in prior study. Aim: This investigation intends to shed light on the predictive value of cuproptosis-related genes for MDD and the immunological microenvironment. Methods: GSE38206, GSE76826, GSE9653 databases were used to analyze cuproptosis regulators and immune characteristics. To find the genes that were differently expressed, weighted gene co-expression network analysis was employed. We calculated the effectiveness of the random forest model, generalized linear model, and limit gradient lifting to arrive at the best machine prediction model. Nomogram, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis were used to show the anticipated MDD's accuracy. Results: This study found that there were activated immune responses and cuproptosis-related genes that were dysregulated in people with MDD compared to healthy controls. Considering the test performance of the learned model and validation on subsequent datasets, the RF model (including OSBPL8, VBP1, MTM1, ELK3, and SLC39A6) was considered to have the best discriminative performance. (AUC = 0.875). Conclusion: Our study constructed a prediction model to predict MDD risk and clarified the potential connection between cuproptosis and MDD.

Summary: Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are resident innate immune cells that play vital roles in maintaining lung physiological functions. However, the effects of aging on their dynamics, heterogeneity, and transcriptional profiles remain to be fully elucidated. Through single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we identified CBFβ as an indispensable transcription factor that ensures AM self-renewal. Intriguingly, despite transcriptome similarities of proliferating cells, AMs from aged mice exhibited reduced embryonic stem cell–like features. Aged AMs also displayed compromised DNA repair abilities, potentially leading to obstructed cell cycle progression and an elevation of senescence markers. Consistently, AMs from aged mice exhibited impaired self-renewal ability and reduced sensitivity to GM-CSF. Decreased CBFβ was observed in the cytosol of AMs from aged mice. Similar senescence-like phenotypes were also found in human AMs. Taken together, these findings suggest that AMs in aged hosts demonstrate senescence-like phenotypes, potentially facilitated by the abrogated CBF β activity.

Modern protective materials must not only exhibit an intelligent response behavior, but also possess an excellent energy absorption ability. The applicability of shear-stiffening gel is limited because it generally cannot demonstrate good shape stability, strain sensitivity, and energy dissipation ability simultaneously. In this study, multiple hydrogen bonds and metal coordination bonds are incorporated into a shear-hardening gel to fabricate a new impact-hardening polymer (IHP-Cu) with multi-level energy dissipation pathways, thereby achieving a balance between shape stability, rapid self-healing, and energy dissipation. IHP-Cu maintains a stable shape in its natural state, exhibits significant strain-sensitive behavior at different strain rates, and supports a weight of 400 g at room temperature for 10 s after damage. In compression cycling tests, its energy absorption efficiency exceeded 90%. In the frequency-dependent test (strain rate of 0.1 s−1), its elastic work and viscous dissipation increased by 24 and 12.5 times, respectively, compared to those of the conventional shear-hardening gel. This paper also reveals the energy dissipation mechanism of IHP-Cu, thus providing a theoretical basis and reference for the development and optimization of new protective materials.

COVID-19 has adversely affected public access to public green spaces. As a means of interacting with nature, parks and green spaces are an important aspect of residents' daily lives. In this study, the focus is on new digital solutions, such as the experience of painting in virtual natural settings through virtual reality technologies. This study examines factors that affect the user's perceived playfulness and continuance intention to paint in a virtual environment. A total of 732 valid samples were collected through a questionnaire survey, and a theoretical model was developed through structural equation model by analyzing attitude, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intention, continuance intention, and perceived playfulness. Results demonstrate that perceived novelty and perceived sustainability increase the positive attitude of users toward VR painting functions, whereas perceived interactivity and aesthetics have no impact on it within VR painting context. As users use VR painting, they are more concerned about time and money than equipment compatibility. This makes resource facilitating conditions a more influential factor for perceived behavior control than technology facilitating conditions.

Pixelated quantum dot color conversion layer (PQDCCL) is the most promising approach to realize a full-color micro-LED display. However, the QD excitation by ambient light has non-negligible impact on the ambient contrast ratio (ACR) and the display readability, and the ACR issue of color-converted micro-LED display has not been fully explored before. In this paper, the theoretical models of unpixelated monochromatic and pixelated polychromatic QDCCLs (UP/PQDCCL) are established to quantificationally analyze the ACR of a micro-LED display, which is further demonstrated by both ray-tracing simulation and experimental test. The simulation and theoretical results are highly consistent, and the average deviation is only 6.73%. In terms of experimental verification, the ACR indices are between 19.90 and 36.20 for the prepared UP/PQDCCLs that are obtained by photolithography technique and measured under the indoor ambient light of 500 lx and the luminance of the micro-LED screen of 1000 nits. The experimental, simulation, and theoretical results are fully compared and analyzed to show the application prospect of the proposed model in QD-based micro-LED displays. More importantly, this model could provide theoretical support and proof for the ACR estimation of self-luminous color-converted displays.

Sediment erosion frequently occurs in areas with high incidences of cavitation. The collaborative impact of abrasion and cavitation presents a host of challenges, threats, and damages to hydraulic engineering. However, little is known about the synergistic wear mechanism, and research conclusions remain inconsistent. In this work, relevant studies on synergistic erosion have been collected, classified, and analyzed. Presently, research on synergistic wear primarily operates at the macro and micro levels. The microscopic level enables the visualization and quantification of the process by which particles gain momentum from bubbles, the trajectory of particle acceleration, and the mechanism that triggers strong interactions between bubble-particle. At the macro level, erosion is understood as the summation of damage effects on the wall that is caused by the interaction between a plethora of bubbles of varying scales and numerous particles. The synergistic bubble-particle effect is reflected in the dual inhibiting or promoting mechanism. Furthermore, while numerical simulations could be realized by coupling cavitation, multiphase flow, and erosion models, their accuracy is not infallible. In the future, the dual role of particles, and particles driven by micro-jets or shock waves should be fully considered when establishing a combined erosion model. In addition, enhancing the influence of flow field and boundary parameters around bubbles and utilizing FSI would improve the predictive accuracy of erosion location and erosion rate. This work helps to elucidate the combined wear mechanism of hydraulic machinery components in sediment-laden flow environments and provides a theoretical basis for the design, manufacture, processing, and maintenance of hydraulic machinery.

Recent studies have shown that microtransplant (MST) could improve outcome of patients with elderly acute myeloid leukemia (EAML). To further standardize the MST therapy and improve outcomes in EAML patients, based on analysis of the literature on MST, especially MST with EAML from January 1st, 2011 to November 30th, 2022, the International Microtransplant Interest Group provides recommendations and considerations for MST in the treatment of EAML. Four major issues related to MST for treating EAML were addressed: therapeutic principle of MST (1), candidates for MST (2), induction chemotherapy regimens (3), and post-remission therapy based on MST (4). Others included donor screening, infusion of donor cells, laboratory examinations, and complications of treatment.

Background: Two common techniques used in canteen hygiene supervision, are the coliform paper assay, which is the standard method, and the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence method. The coliform paper assay requires the incubation of the sample, which is time-consuming and does not provide a real-time assessment. Meanwhile, the ATP bioluminescence assay can provide real-time kitchenware cleanliness data. Objective: This study aimed to compare these two methods for evaluating the sanitary condition of kitchenware and explore whether the ATP bioluminescence assay can be used as a standard method in sanitary inspection. Methods: In this study, the cluster random sampling method was used to sample kitchenware from six canteens in the Hebei province, China. Samples were, assessed through the coliform paper test and ATP bioluminescence assay. Results: Kitchenware negative rates for the coliform paper method and the ATP test were 64.39% and 49.07%, respectively. The Escherichia coli positive detection rate grew steadily as the relative light units (RLU) value for the ATP technique increased. The kappa coefficient for the two methods was 0.549, indicating that the two methods yield relatively consistent results. Conclusion: Although currently not considered a standard method, simply using ATP detection is advantageous for quick on-site detection in catering unit hygiene supervision.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) display great promise in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapy. However, their low number and differentiation rate limit their further application in the clinics. In the present study, we first optimized a combination of IL-2, TGF-β and cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor AS2863619 (IL-2/TGF-β/AS), which could induce Tregs with high efficiency in vitro. After the induced Tregs (iTregs) were confirmed to suppress lymphocyte proliferation and pro-inflammatory T help cells (Th1 and Th17) activation, a chitosan-stabilized nanoparticle drug delivery system (NDDS) was developed according to the optimized formula of IL-2/TGF-β/AS. In vivo study, the NDDS was injected into the knees of mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). As a result, the NDDS remarkably reduced the pathological score of the CIA, alleviated the inflammatory cell infiltration and synovial hyperplasia, and minimized cartilage tissue damage in the knee joint of the CIA mice. Mechanically, the NDDS administration promoted Treg differentiation and decreased Th17 production, consequently reversing the ratio of Treg/Th17, and reducing the secretion of TNF-α in the sera, which facilitated to relieve the severity and progression of arthritis. In sum, NDDS capable of efficiently inducing Tregs were constructed successfully and provided a potential platform for treating RA by restoring the equilibrium of Treg/Th17 destroyed in RA.

Objective: To investigate and compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous and oral application of tranexamic acid (TXA) in geriatric patients undergoing intertrochanteric fracture surgeries. Methods: All patients with intertrochanteric fracture admitted to the trauma center of the Zhongda hospital were selected after January 1st, 2020. The final patients were divided into three groups. Oral group: 2 ​g oral TXA 2 ​h preoperatively; intravenous group: 15 ​mg/kg intravenous TXA before incision; control group: no intervention. The main outcome measures were blood transfusion rate and total blood loss. Secondary outcomes include intraoperative blood loss, postoperative blood loss, perioperative blood transfusion volumes, length of hospital stay, thromboembolism events and other adverse events. Results: From January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, 124 patients with intertrochanteric fracture were enrolled. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 105 patients were included, including 32 patients in the oral group, 36 patients in the intravenous group and 37 patients in the control group. The demographic characteristics of each group were similar. The blood transfusion rate in the control group was significantly more than that in the experimental group (64.9% vs 40.6% vs 36.1%, P ​= ​0.041). There was no significant difference between the oral group and the intravenous group (P ​= ​0.704). The total blood loss of the oral group and the intravenous group were less than the control group (990.29 ​± ​250.19 ​ml vs 997.47 ​± ​452.34 ​ml vs 1408.54 ​± ​461.74 ​ml), the difference was statistically significant (P ​= ​0.001), and there was no significant difference between the intravenous group and the oral group (P ​= ​0.459). The perioperative blood transfusion volumes of the oral group and the intravenous group were less than the control group (250.00 ​± ​198.62 ​ml vs 227.78 ​± ​179.27 ​ml vs 367.57 ​± ​323.90 ​ml), the difference was statistically significant (P ​= ​0.001), and there was no significant difference between the intravenous group and the oral group (P ​= ​0.832). During hospitalization and follow-up, there were no thromboembolism events such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Conclusion: It is safe and effective to use TXA intravenously and orally in elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture. The results of the two methods are similar in safety and effectiveness. Oral TXA is recommended because of its cost-benefit superiority and its ease of administration. The translational potential of this article: The result of this prospective cohort study shows that the utilization of oral TXA in elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture undergoing proximal femur intramedullary nailing possesses great potential in reducing blood loss and cost-benefit superiority.

Recent advances in spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT) have revolutionized biological and medical research and enabled unprecedented insight into the functional organization and cell communication of tissues and organs in situ. Identifying and elucidating gene spatial expression variation (SE analysis) is fundamental to elucidate the SRT landscape. There is an urgent need for public repositories and computational techniques of SRT data in SE analysis alongside technological breakthroughs and large-scale data generation. Increasing efforts to use in silico techniques in SE analysis have been made. However, these attempts are widely scattered among a large number of studies that are not easily accessible or comprehensible by both medical and life scientists. This study provides a survey and a summary of public resources on SE analysis in SRT studies. An updated systematic overview of state-of-the-art computational approaches and tools currently available in SE analysis are presented herein, emphasizing recent advances. Finally, the present study explores the future perspectives and challenges of in silico techniques in SE analysis. This study guides medical and life scientists to look for dedicated resources and more competent tools for characterizing spatial patterns of gene expression.

Uveal melanoma (UM) represents the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults and is characterized by aggressive behaviors and a lack of targeted therapies. Hypoxia-targeted therapy has become a promising new therapeutic strategy in tumors. Therefore, a better understanding of the tumor hypoxia microenvironment is critical to improve the treatment efficacy of UM. In this study, we conducted an extensive multi-omics analysis to explore the heterogeneity and prognostic significance of the hypoxia microenvironment. We found that UM revealed the most significant degree of intertumoral heterogeneity in hypoxia by quantifying tumor hypoxia compared with other solid tumor types. Then we systematically correlated the hypoxia phenotypes with clinicopathological features and found that hypoxic UM tumors were associated with an increased risk of metastasis, more aggressive phenotypes, and unfavorable clinical outcomes. Integrative multi-omics analyses identified multidimensional molecular alterations related to hypoxia phenotypes, including elevated genome instability, co-occurring of 8q arm gains and loss of chromosome 3, and BAP1 mutations. Furthermore, hypoxic UM tumors could be characterized by increased CD8+ T cell infiltration and decreased naïve B cell and dysregulated metabolic pathways. Finally, we introduced DNN2HM, an interpretable deep neural network model to decode hypoxia phenotypes from multi-omics data. We showed that the DNN2HM improves hypoxia phenotype prediction and robustly predicts tumor aggressiveness and prognosis in different multi-center datasets. In conclusion, our study provides novel insight into UM tumor microenvironment, which may have clinical implications for future rationalized hypoxia-targeted therapy.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between intraoperative anesthesia-related factors and postoperative complications in patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery, and to identify risk factors for these postoperative complications. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 942 emergency surgery patients who underwent general anesthesia and emergency abdominal operations at Jiangsu Province Hospital during the period September 2015 to December 2016. Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the association between preoperative or intraoperative parameters and postoperative complications. Results: Among the 942 patients whose data were analyzed, 226 (24.0%) had major postoperative complications within 30 days after surgery. The most common postoperative complications were respiratory complications (31.8% of those experiencing complications). After adjusting for the role of multiple confounding factors, multivariable analysis showed that the independent risk factors for postoperative complications were patient age (OR 1.648; 95% CI 1.352–2.008), the ASA classification (OR 3.220; 95% CI 2.492–4.162), intraoperative hypotension lasting more than 20 min (OR 2.031; 95% CI 1.256–3.285), intraoperative tachyarrhythmias (OR 2.205; 95% CI 1.114–4.365), and the surgical level (i.e. type and difficulty level) [OR 1.895; 95% CI 1.306–2.750]. Conclusion: Prolonged intraoperative hypotension (>20 min) and the occurrence of tachyarrhythmias are independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients who undergo emergency abdominal surgery. During hemodynamic management of these patients, systolic blood pressure should be controlled to within 20% of the baseline value to reduce the risk of postoperative complications. In addition, a higher patient age, higher ASA grade, and a higher surgical classification level also significantly increase the risk of postoperative complications.

This study first prepared a layered intumescent flame retardant (IFR)-graphene oxide (GO). Then, the multi-scale polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) composites were prepared by introducing glass fiber (GF), boron nitride (BN), and nano SiO2 flame retardant synergists of different shapes and sizes. The results showed that the SiO2-containing composites displayed excellent flame resistance with a flame retardant grade of V-0 and a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 32%. The IFR-GO, PBT, and SiO2 formed a multi-scale network structure where the three additives interacted via hydrogen bonding, catalyzing charring in situ. Finally, the composites were obtained with an excellent flame retardant grade and droplet resistance properties.

Background: ː Pain management is essential in postoperative settings, especially with pediatric patients. Donor site pain after rib cartilage harvest is severe, particularly during the early postoperative period. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of ultrasound guided single-injection intercostal nerve block (ICNB) as a component of multimodal analgesia for pediatrics undergoing autologous auricular reconstruction. Methods: ː Fifty pediatric patients aged 6–16 years and scheduled for 2 rib cartilages harvest surgery were enrolled in this double-blind, prospective and randomized study. Pediatrics were randomly assigned into two groups: the intercostal nerve block group (group B) and the control group (group C). The nerve block was performed with 2 ml 0.25% ropivacaine each intercostal nerve in group B. Patients from group C received Tramadol 2 mg/kg by the end of the surgery as control. Tramadol-based patient-controlled intravenous analgesia and rescue analgesia were given in both groups. The primary outcome was pain scores at early postoperative period (VAS and FLACC scale, 4 h, and 8 h). The secondary outcome was the postoperative Tramadol consumption and time point of first rescue analgesic demand. Results: ː VAS score was significantly lower in group B than group C at 4 h and 8 h postoperatively [2.5(2–5) vs. 4(2.5–5.5), p = 0.041 at 4 h; 3(2.5–4.5) vs. 4(3–5), p = 0.047 at 8 h]. Total Tramadol consumption in group B decreased significantly in contrast with group C at 8 h (p

Optic nerve invasion (ONI) is an important high-risk feature and prognostic indicator of retinoblastoma (RB). Emerging evidence has revealed that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play important roles in tumor perineural invasion (PNI). Nevertheless, the regulatory role of ncRNAs in the ONI of RB is poorly understood. In the current study, whole-transcriptome sequencing was performed to assess the expression profiles of ncRNAs and mRNAs in RB tissues, with or without ONI. Based on Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses, we predicted the biological functions of differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs. We then constructed competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks based on bioinformatics analysis. The hsa_circ_0015965/lncRNA MEG3-hsa-miR-378a-5p-NOTCH1 pathway was selected and validated by real-time qPCR, western blotting, and dual luciferase reporter assays. Moreover, we demonstrated that NOTCH1 promotes the malignant progression of RB. Taken together, our results provide novel insights into the mechanism underlying optic nerve invasion in RB.

Background: The opioid receptors related to analgesia are mainly μ recipient, the μ receptor has a two-way mode of action: manifested by opioid analgesics and μ1 Receptor binding produces the desired analgesic effect, and μ2 Receptor binding may cause respiratory depression, nausea and vomiting and other adverse reactions. Nalmefene is an opioid receptor antagonist. Low dose Nalmefene has priority over μ2 Receptor binding makes opioid analgesics turn more to μ1 receptor binding, which is reversed μ2 Receptor mediated nausea, vomiting, respiratory depression and other adverse reactions, but does not reverse the analgesic effect. We assume that sufentanil combined with nalmefene could reduce respiratory adverse events in the patients who underwent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty during recovery.Methods: Patients with UPPP under general anesthesia were selected, and divided into control group (group C) and nalmefene group (group N) randomly. Patients in group N received sufentanil 0.1 μg/kg and nalmefene hydrochloride 0.25μg/kg at the end of the operation. Additionally, patients in group C received sufentanil 0.1 μg/kg at the end of the operation. The heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were observed and recorded before operation, immediately after extubation, and 5 min after extubation. The breathing recovery time, tracheal extubation time, consciousness score (Ramsay score、sedation-agitation scale (SAS)) and visual analog score (VAS) were carefully recorded at 5 min after extubation, and the various adverse reactions were monitored during the recovery period.Results: Ninety-six patients were finished our study finally. The breathing recovery and extubation time of group N was significantly shorter than those of group C (P

Brain morphometric alterations involve multiple brain regions on progression of the disease in multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and exhibit age-related degenerative changes during the pathological aging. Recent advance in brain morphometry as measured using MRI have leveraged Person-Based Similarity Index (PBSI) approach to assess the extent of within-diagnosis similarity or heterogeneity of brain neuroanatomical profiles between individuals of healthy populations and validate in neuropsychiatric disorders. Brain morphometric changes throughout the lifespan would be invaluable for understanding regional variability of age-related structural degeneration and the substrate of inflammatory demyelinating disease. Here, we aimed to quantify the neuroanatomical profiles with PBSI measures of cortical thickness (CT) and subcortical volumes (SV) in 263 MS, 207 NMOSD, and 338 healthy controls (HC) from six separate central datasets (aged 11–80). We explored the between-group comparisons of PBSI measures, as well as the advancing age and sex effects on PBSI measures. Compared to NMOSD, MS showed a lower extent of within-diagnosis similarity. Significant differences in regional contributions to PBSI score were observed in 29 brain regions between MS and NMOSD (P

Summary: Owing to the impact of the western development of China, there have been signs of air pollution over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in recent years. However, monitoring data on atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are lacking in plateau areas. Here, VOCs concentrations in urban and background areas in North China and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were observed from 2012 to 2014 and 2020 to 2022, respectively. Compared to 2012–2014, the concentration of VOCs increased to 2.5 times in urban areas on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which was equivalent to that in North China. Oil, gas, and solvent evaporation caused by a low atmospheric pressure is the primary factor for the increase in VOCs in plateau areas, and weak VOCs degradation is the secondary factor. Hence, we put forward the VOCs control strategies in plateau areas and point out the defects in the current research.